2014 | 2015

Photo: Laura Marie Duncan

DEAR FRIENDS,

It is with great pleasure that I join The Collegiate Chorale as its new Artistic Director. After many happy collaborations, including The Firebrand of Florence, The Grapes of Wrath, The Mikado, and Song of Norway, I’m delighted to be an official member of The Chorale family. I join with my colleagues, Executive Director Jennifer Collins, Music Director James Bagwell, and Producing Director Edward Barnes in inviting you to subscribe to our exciting 2014-2015 season.

We at The Chorale are dedicated to bringing our audiences programs they won’t hear anywhere else, in dramatically compelling settings with world-class soloists. We are also deeply committed to education with our Complimentary Student Ticket Program, Faith Geier Artist Initiative, and Side-by-Side program, which celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2014!

This season, we will be presenting two premieres at Carnegie Hall; the New York City premiere of Not The Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy), from the creators of Monty Python’s Spamalot, and the U.S. premiere of The Road of Promise, a concert adaptation of The Eternal Road by Kurt Weill and Franz Werfel. We will also be performing one of Handel’s most mature works, Susanna, at Town Hall.

We hope to see you at these evenings, as well as at our collaborations with the American Lyric Theater and The Defiant Requiem Foundation. It’s a rich season of music and drama, and we look forward to sharing it with you!

Warmly, Ted Sperling

A Message from the Artistic Director

2014–2015 Season at a Glance

Susanna by George F. Handel

February 3, 2015 at 8 pmTown Hall

The Road of Promise by Kurt Weill and Franz Werfel

May 6, 2015 at 8 pm and May 7, 2015 at 7 pmCarnegie Hall

Not The Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy) Based on Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” by Eric Idle and John DuPrez

December 15, 2014 at 8 pmand December 16, 2014 at 8 pm Carnegie Hall

CONNECT WITH US: Cover: The Grapes of Wrath in 2010 (Photo: Erin Baiano); Top: (Photo: Christopher Duggan)

Not The Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy)

By Eric Idle and John DuPrez

December 15, 2014 at 8 pmand December 16, 2014 at 8 pmCarnegie Hall

From the creators of the hit Broadway musical Spamalot, Not The Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy) is a zany spoof on Handel’s Messiah, based on Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Described by Eric Idle as “Baroque-N-Roll,” Not The Messiah features a lively pastiche of musical styles ranging from pop, country, and Broadway to doo-wop, hip hop, and Greek chorus. Hit songs include “Hail to the Shoe,” “We Love Sheep,” and the audience favorite and sing-along “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Concert tickets ranging from $30 to $145 and Premium options go on sale September 4. For advanced access to tickets, become a Season Subscriber!

Open Rehearsal on November 17, 2014 More information on the Education and Outreach pages of this brochure.

The Collegiate Chorale makes beautiful music and sings with love from the heart. I have enjoyed singing with The Chorale so very much!

— Deborah Voigt, Fidelio (2005), Alceste (2009), and “Something Wonderful” (2011)

Eric Idle

Marc Kudisch

Victoria ClarkPhoto: Denise Winters

Lauren Worsham

William FergusonPhoto: John Warren

The Collegiate Chorale

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Ted Sperling, conductor/director

Fall GalaOn December 15, attend our festive Gala evening for a delightful cocktail reception and seated dinner before the performance, and a dessert reception with artists immediately following.

Tickets range from $1,000 to $2,500 and tables from $10,000 to $25,000.

Not The Messiah (He’s a Very

Naughty Boy) is presented through

special arrangement with, and all

authorized performance materials

are supplied by, Theatrical Rights

Worldwide (TRW), 570 Seventh

Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY

10018. (866) 378.9758

www.theatricalrights.com

By George F. Handel

February 3, 2015 at 8 pmTown Hall

Bridging the genres of oratorio and ballad opera, Handel’s intriguing Susanna originally premiered at Covent Garden in 1749. Based on an Apocryphal chapter from the biblical Book of Daniel, Susanna tells the story of a virtuous young woman who is falsely accused of sexual promiscuity by two lecherous elders. Aided by the boy prophet Daniel, the true nature of the elders is exposed and Susanna is proven innocent.

Single tickets from $30 to $95 go on sale November 6. For advanced access to tickets, become a Season Subscriber!

Susanna

The Collegiate Chorale

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

James Bagwell, conductor

Ted Sperling, director

The Collegiate Chorale chooses to perform such interesting, rare material, and I have been the beneficiary of that creativity. Some of the most exhilarating evenings of music I have experienced have been with The Collegiate Chorale.

— Kelli O’Hara, Knickerbocker Holiday (2011) and

The Mikado (2012)

Isabel LeonardPhoto: Jared Slater / J & J Photography

Zachary James

Daniela Mack Photo: Simon Pauly

Javier Abreu

Gerrit van Honthorst, Susanna and the Elders, 17th century

The Road of Promise U.S. Premiere

Music by Kurt WeillLibretto by Franz WerfelAdaptation by Ed Harsh

May 6, 2015 at 8 pm and May 7, 2015 at 7 pmCarnegie Hall

The Road of Promise is a new concert adaptation of Kurt Weill and Franz Werfel’s 1937 epic musical spectacle, The Eternal Road. A dramatic mix of opera, musical theater, and biblical pageant play, The Road of Promise tells the story of a young boy left in the care of a Rabbi and his congregation in the wake of an pogrom. To calm the boy’s fears and help him understand his faith and heritage, the Rabbi recounts ancient biblical tales, and as he does, the stories of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Rachel, Moses, Ruth, Saul, and David all come to life.

Single tickets from $30 to $135 go on sale January 8, 2015. For advanced access to tickets, become a Season Subscriber!

Open Rehearsal on April 13, 2015More information on the Education and Outreach pages of this brochure.

The Collegiate Chorale

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Ted Sperling, conductor/director

Some of the finest work I’ve done was with The Collegiate Chorale. They have the ability to perform an incredibly wide variety of music at the highest level. Working with them is a joy!— Nathan Gunn, The Firebrand of Florence (2009) and The Grapes of Wrath (2010)

Anthony Dean Griffey Danny Burstein Mark DelavanPhoto: Christian Steiner

ANDSean PanikkarMegan Marino

Lauren MichelleJustin Hopkins

Philip CutlipPhoto: Norbert Graf Preyn

Compilation by Edward Barnes

JFK November 25, 2014 at 7:00 pm Merkin Concert HallIn JFK, the new opera commissioned by Fort Worth Opera and American Lyric Theater, composer David T. Little and librettist Royce Vavrek have imagined the final twelve hours in the life of the 35th President of the United States – an evening spent in Fort Worth, Texas. Weaving dreams and the sobering reality of November 22, 1963, the opera creates human characters out of iconic figures, juxtaposing their public personas with the intimate and private feelings of a man and his wife at their intersection with fate.

Developmental support for JFK has been provided by Opera America /The Opera Fund, and

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

THE LIFE AND DEATH(s) OF ALAN TURING March 29, 2015 at 3:00 pm Merkin Concert HallCommissioned by American Lyric Theater, THE LIFE AND DEATH(s) OF ALAN

TURING is an historical fantasia based on the life of the English scientist, by composer Justine F. Chen and librettist David Simpatico. The opera explores Turing’s extraordinary contributions to mankind, his country’s disavowal of him because he was gay, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.

Developmental support for THE LIFE AND DEATH(s) OF ALAN TURING has been provided by The Andrew

W. Mellon Foundation and The National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information and tickets for both performances visit: www.altnyc.org

The Collegiate Chorale Around Town…American Lyric TheaterInsightALT is a series of workshop readings of new operas in development at American Lyric Theater, presented in tandem with conversations with the creative artists behind these new works. This season, The Collegiate Chorale joins ALT for two events presented at Merkin Concert Hall (129 W. 67th Street).

Photo: Christopher Duggan

DEFIANT REQUIEM: VERDI AT TEREZÍNMarch 9, 2015 at 7:30 pm Avery Fisher Hall

Murry Sidlin, creator and conductorPresented by The Defiant Requiem Foundation, UJA-Federation of New York, and Selfhelp

Community Services, Inc.

Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín tells the story of the courageous Jewish prisoners in

the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp (Terezín) during World War II who performed

Verdi’s Requiem while experiencing the depths of human degradation. This multime-

dia concert-drama combines Verdi’s magnificent music with video testimonials from

survivors of the original chorus, footage from the Nazi propaganda film about the

camp, and actors speaking the words of imprisoned conductor Rafael Schächter

and others. With only a smuggled score, they performed the celebrated oratorio

sixteen times, including once before senior SS officials from Berlin and a Red Cross

delegation. Conductor Rafael Schächter told the choir, “We will sing to the Nazis what

we cannot say to them.”

Left photo: The Collegiate Chorale performing Verdi’s Requiem in 2008 (Photo: Erin Baiano); Right photo: Christopher Duggan

Education and OutreachThe Chorale makes education a priority through three dynamic initiatives:

• The Side-by-Side Program provides talented high

school students with the opportunity to perform with

The Collegiate Chorale and world famous artists,

orchestras, and conductors in concert programs at

Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and on international tours.

• The Complimentary Student Ticket Program reaches

hundreds of New York high school students every year.

• The Faith Geier Artist Initiative offers young

promising singers the opportunity to make their debut

at top venues alongside internationally acclaimed artists.

SIDE-BY-SIDE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS!• To date, over 300 students have participated in the

Side-by-Side program.

• More than 80 students, many of whom had never left the United

States or even the city of New York, have been fully sponsored to

travel to Switzerland, Austria, and/or Israel on The Chorale’s

international summer tours.

• Over 75 program alumni are pursuing undergraduate, graduate,

and doctoral degrees in a music-related field

• On average, 20 program alumni continue to sing annually with

The Chorale during its NYC concert season and international

tours. Their passion for classical music, choral music, and The

Collegiate Chorale runs strong and deep.

Left: Side-by-Side students and alumni (Photo: Christopher Duggan); Middle: Side-by-Side alumnus and Faith Geier Artist Joseph Michael Brent in his Carnegie Hall debut with The Chorale, November 2013 (Photo: Erin Baiano); Right: Side-by-Side students at the 2013 Verbier Festival in Switzerland (Photo: Emma Richter)

Left: Kennedy Center Honoree and Soprano Martina Arroyo coached two Side-by-Side students in a master class (Photo: Christopher Duggan); Right: Ted Sperling and The Chorale at an Open Rehearsal (Photo: Christopher Duggan)

I feel so lucky to be able to be in this choir, treated like a professional singer, and held accountable for myself and the music I have to know. Rehearsal always feels sort of therapeutic to attend each week.

— Deva, Side-by-Side student (2013-2014)

Open RehearsalsWitness the artistic process free of charge!

Come behind the scenes and attend a Monday evening Collegiate Chorale

rehearsal! Maestro James Bagwell or Maestro Ted Sperling will lead the

rehearsal, while educating and entertaining the audience with explanations

and anecdotes. Please note soloists and orchestra will not be present at these

chorus and piano-only rehearsals. Please call 646.202.9623 or email

info@collegiatechorale to RSVP.

• NOT THE MESSIAH: Monday, November 17, 2014 at 6:30 pm (location is TBD)

• THE ROAD OF PROMISE: Monday, April 13, 2015 at 6:30 pm (location is TBD)

Side-by-Side Master Class Series See our talented students in action!

Come watch accomplished artists coach Side-by-Side students as

they perform arias, art songs, and musical theatre numbers. We

promise you will come away with new-found knowledge!

Master Classes are free and open to the public with RSVP.

Please call 646.202.9623 to confirm class details.

• Thursday, November 20, 2014 with coach Thomas Goodheart

• Thursday, January 22, 2015 with coach Thomas Goodheart

To donate to the education program or support Side-by-Side in its 10th year, contact The Chorale office at 646.202.9623 or visit collegiatechorale.org.

Become a Friend Today!Support The Collegiate Chorale with a tax-deductible donation of $250 or more, and join our warm community of Friends.

Benefits include:• Listing in all Chorale performance programs including Carnegie Hall’s Playbill• Complimentary Chorale tote bag• Access to exclusive Friends receptions with The Chorale artistic team• Access to lectures and concert preview events• And more…

Become a Volunteer!

Give the gift of your time by joining our dynamic group of volunteers. For more information, call 646.202.9623 or email info@collegiatechorale.org.

Join the Maestro’s Circle!

Support The Collegiate Chorale with a tax-deductible gift of $5,000 or more and join a community of dedicated supporters and patrons, while gaining access to exclusive musical events at private homes with artists and celebrities.

Join our Special Events!

Each season The Chorale invites its patrons to a Fall Gala where guests enjoy a seated dinner and premium concert tickets, and to a Spring Benefit, which features a vastly entertaining live auction. These events allow The Chorale to continue its unique programming and to raise support for its educational activities. To receive an invitation to an upcoming Gala event, please call 646-202-9623.

Left: Susan Wallach, Priscilla Kauff, and Beverly Treuille at a Chorale Preview event (Photo: Christopher Duggan); Center: Gala Guests at the Mefistofele dessert buffet (Photo: Erin Baiano);

Right: Ellen Marcus and Roger Rees at a Maestro’s Circle event (Photo: Erin Baiano); Top Left: Side-by-Side alumnus sings at a Maestro’s Circle event (Photo: Christopher Duggan)

Support The Chorale

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The Road of Promise 5/6/15 at 8pm or 5/7/15 at 7pm, Carnegie Hall

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Susanna 2/3/15 at 8pm, Town Hall

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CONNECT WITH US:

James Bagwell and The Chorale at Carnegie Hall (Photo: Erin Baiano)

The Collegiate Chorale is one of the most impressive, wonderfully sounding, fantastically prepared, best choral groups I’ve ever heard in New York.

— Bryn Terfel, Elijah (2007)